Chrysanthemum plant named `Purple Yolima`

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named `Purple Yolima`, characterized by its compact and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; attractive foliage to floret color contrast; uniform and early flowering; anemone spray-type inflorescences that are about 5.3 cm in diameter; attractive dark purple-colored ray florets and green to dark purple-tipped disc florets; numerous inflorescences per plant; and excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leaves maintaining good substance and color for about four weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandiflora andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Purple Yolima. The plant isbeing marketed under the name Purple Lima.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a mutation induction breedingprogram conducted by the inventor in Fort Myers, Fla., and Salinas,Calif. The objective of the program is to create new Chrysanthemumcultivars with desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, goodsubstance, and excellent post-production longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of theChrysanthemum cultivar Yolima (copening U.S. Plant patent applicationSer. No. 09/112,201) to X-ray radiation at a level of 2,000 rads inOctober, 1994, in Fort Myers, Fla. Following the radiation treatment,the cuttings were rooted and terminal apices were removed (pinched)three times to promote lateral branch development. After lateralbranches from the third pinch reached sufficient size, terminal cuttingswere harvested, planted and flowered in a controlled environment inSalinas, Calif. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by theinventor as a single flowering plant within this population in March,1995. The selection of this plant was based on its desirableinflorescence form and floret colors and excellent post-productionlongevity.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttingsharvested in a controlled environment in Salinas, Calif., has shown thatthe unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproducedtrue to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Purple Yolima has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of `Purple Yolima`. These characteristicsin combination distinguish `Purple Yolima` as a new and distinctChrysanthemum:

1. Compact and uniformly mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit, dense plants.

3. Uniform and early flowering.

4. Anemone spray-type inflorescences that are about 5.3 cm in diameter.

5. Attractive dark purple-colored ray florets and green to darkpurple-tipped disc florets.

6. Numerous inflorescences per plant.

7. Excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leavesmaintaining good substance and color for about four weeks in an interiorenvironment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are similar to plants of the parentcultivar, `Yolima`, and a sibling cultivar, `Honey Yolima` (U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 09/112,202, filed concurrently with thisapplication) in most horticultural characteristics, however plants ofthe new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of both these cultivarsprimarily in ray floret color.

The new Chrysanthemum can be compared to the Chrysanthemum cultivarPapillon (disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,435). However inside-by-side comparisons in Salinas, Calif., and Leamington, Ontario,Canada, under commercial practice, plants of the new Chrysanthemumdiffered from plants of the cultivar Papillon in the followingcharacteristics:

1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger leaves than plants of thecultivar Papillon.

2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have anemone-type inflorescenceswhereas plants of the cultivar Papillon have single-type inflorescences.

3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences thanplants of the cultivar Papillon.

4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have longer and more narrow rayflorets than plants of the cultivar Papillon.

5. Ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum is much darkerthan ray floret color of plants of the cultivar Papillon.

6. Disc florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ in color andhave significantly less pollen than plants of the cultivar Papillon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a top perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of `Purple Yolima`.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet is a close-up view of atypical inflorescences of plants of `Purple Yolima`.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view ofupper (left) and lower (right) surfaces of typical leaves andinflorescences of plants of `Purple Yolima`.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet comprises a sideperspective view of typical plants of `Purple Yolima` (left) and`Papillon` (right) showing the differences in plant shape, inflorescencetype, inflorescence size, and floret colors. Floret and foliage colorsin the photographs may appear different from the actual colors due tolight reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., andLeamington, Ontario, Canada, under greenhouse conditions whichapproximate those generally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemumproduction. Four unrooted cuttings were directly stuck in a 15-cmcontainer and pinched once. Measurements and numerical values representaverages of typical flowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar PurpleYolima.

Commercial classification: Anemone spray-type pot chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Induced mutation of Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Yolima.

Propagation:

Type.--Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.--Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.--Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.--Perennial herbaceous anemone spray-type pot Chrysanthemum.Inverted triangle. Stems initially upright, then somewhat spreadinggiving a uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching;about five lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex(pinching), dense and full plants.

Plant height.--Relatively compact, about 22 cm.

Plant width.--About 32 cm.

Foliage description.--Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 5.5 cm.Width: About 4 cm. Apex: Mucronate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmatelylobed, sinuses between lateral lobes parallel to divergent. Texture:Upper and lower surfaces slightly pubescent. Veins prominent on lowersurface. Petiole length: About 1.6 cm. Color: Young foliage uppersurface: 147A. Young foliage lower surface: 147B. Mature foliage uppersurface: 147A. Mature foliage lower surface: 147B. Venation uppersurface: 147A to 147B. Venation lower surface: 147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.--Anemone spray-type inflorescence form with oblong-shapedray florets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arisingfrom leaf axils. Disk and ray florets arranged acropetally on acapitulum.

Flowering response.--Under natural conditions, plant flowers in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to two weeks of long day/short night conditions after plantingfollowed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower abouteight weeks later.

Postproduction longevity.--Inflorescences and leaves will maintain goodcolor and substance for about four weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of inflorescences.--About seven inflorescences per terminalwith about 35 inflorescences per plant.

Inflorescence bud.--Height: About 6.5 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Color:137A.

Inflorescence size.--Diameter: About 5.3 cm. Depth (height): About 1.2cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.9 cm.

Ray florets.--Shape: Oblong with very short corolla tube. Aspect:Straight, concave. Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Apex: Acuteto emarginate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Number of rayflorets per inflorescence: About 24. Color: When opening, upper surface:64A. When opening, lower surface: 77C. Fully opened, upper surface: 64A.Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 77B.

Disc florets.--Shape: Enlarged tubular. Apex: Dentate, flared. Length:About 1 cm. Width: Apex: About 3 mm. Base: About 1 mm. Number of discflorets per inflorescence: About 138. Color: Immature: 143A to 154A.Mature: Apex: 64A to 71A. Mid-section and base: 154A.

Peduncle.--Aspect: Flexible, strong, angled about 40° to stem. Length:First peduncle: About 1.1 cm. Fourth peduncle: About 3.2 cm. Texture:Pubescent. Color: Close to 137A.

Reproductive organs.--Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 7A. Pollen amount: Low to moderate. Pollen color: 9A. Gynoecium:Present on both ray and disc florets.

Disease resistance: No known Chrysanthemum diseases observed to date onplants grown under commercial greenhouse conditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed `Purple Yolima`, as illustrated and described.